Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

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Remember that old myth about how stepping on a crack breaks your kicker’s back? Graham Gano would appreciate it if you kindly avoided broken pavement from now on.

Against the Eagles in Week 17, the Redskins had a chance to tie the game midway through the second quarter with a Gano field goal from 36 yards out. But for the fifth time last season, the defense crashed the line and the kick was blocked by Eagle Derek Landri.

In the ensuing scrum for the football, Gano got rocked by a defensive player and came up hobbling. It looked like punter Sav Rocca may be needed for his placekicking skills, but Gano worked it out and managed to return for an extra point, a 27-yard field goal, and two kickoffs in the second half.

It wasn’t discovered until after the game that Gano had broken three vertebrae on the blocked kick, and gritted his way through debilitating pain in the second half.

Now fully recovered from the injury, Gano sat down with Redskins Nation’s Larry Michael last week to discuss his season in review, his new contract situation, and how he’s getting prepared for a better 2012 (via CSN Washington):

“Yeah, it coulda been [a lot worse]. I broke three vertebrae, but it wasn’t as bad as it really sounded. I’m healed up now and ready to go.”

With Rocca already serving as the team’s primary holder for field goals and extra points, there wasn’t a good placekicking option behind Gano for that game.

Although the situation was potentially more dire than anyone could have predicted at the time, kudos to Gano for toughing through the pain in the final game of the season and giving his team the best chance to win.